Posts

So, what’s Bali like?

Looking for some serene place? Cannot decide between the mountains, plains and beaches? Well, Bali is a full package for you then.

A “Welcome to Bali” poster at the Ngurah Rai International Airport

The first thing that people associate with Bali is that it is a perfect honeymoon spot. If you’re one of them, you’re right since it matches all the requisites of a relaxing vacation. But that does not mean you would be feeling lonely or miss your beloved if on a family trip, because unlike some extremely romantic places where all you see are couples around you, Bali is not like that.

What is Bali like?

The whole city functions in a manner that it caters to the needs of tourists. You’d notice how being a popular tourist spot actually employs people all around. Most of the people there speak basic English. Other than that, while the rest of Indonesia speaks in an Indonesian dialect, the dialect of Balinese is special to just Bali. They are always hospitable and would try to provide you with the best of their capabilities. For example, our drivers (they were also the guides) for each day would get us a few bottles of water and hand them to us at the beginning of the trip, remember to look for an adapter at the nearest Mini Mart or Circle K when told just once (if you’ve visited Malaysia or Singapore or Thailand, your adapters are not going to work here), and so on.

If you need a local SIM card, you can get one with a 30-day validity at the airport itself.

Tanah Lot Temple

What can one do in Bali?

A trip to Bali could be just for leisure, visiting beaches and popular spots and enjoying the very relaxing Balinese massage (totally recommended). It could also be one filled with adventures – water sports, rafting, Bali swing, trek up to Mount Batur to see the sunrise, etc. The latter makes it evident why Bali is for all kinds of travellers!

How long and where to stay?

Spending up to roughly 5 days in Bali is more than enough. It would give you ample amount of time to tour the city and also imbibe some of its cultures. A lot of people divide their stay between the north and south of the city to be closer to the areas around them. We stayed in the Kuta area and that worked fine for us since all major spots were the same distance away.

Kids in the traditional Balinese attire

What to shop?

Sarongs are quite a popular gifting item, or even for personal use. It is a rectangular piece of designed cloth, of usually cotton, which measures either 2 or 3 meters. You could use it as a skirt, or even wrap it fashionably to make a dress out of it. Other than that, essential oils of various natural items are also useful. This is one of the links I found very useful to know how to use essential oils – https://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/how-do-i-choose-and-use-essential-oils

You could even buy their traditional dress as a souvenir, it rather looks quite smart. You could buy their special coffee too (which is prepared by being crushed under the feet of animals) if you have a taste and become a fan.

PS: Try beers from the company Bintang, if you’re into smooth tastes. Also, if you’re pure vegetarian then be prepared to be quite restricted in options of food choices.